Live Oak County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to George West and Three Rivers
Live Oak County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Live Oak County is home to George West and Three Rivers. Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Next door, Bee County has 351 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,609 jobs in 2025, down 12.8% from 2019. AEP Texas Central Company is the largest utility serving Live Oak County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Cities and towns in Live Oak County
Live Oak County is home to George West and Three Rivers.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Live Oak County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,348 | 11,929 | ▲ 5.1% | 155th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,140 | 3,609 | ▼ 12.8% | 233rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $61,089 | $69,802 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.9% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
11,929 people live here, up 5.1% since 2020.
Who powers Live Oak County
Utilities with service territory in Live Oak County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 784,148 | — | — |
| Nueces Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 46,409 | 10.68¢ | 17% |
| Karnes Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,222 | 9.90¢ | 43% |
| San Patricio Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,007 | 13.99¢ | 17% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Live Oak County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Live Oak County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,609 | $69,802 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 114 | $65,585 | 0.60 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Live Oak County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Live Oak County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Live Oak County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Live Oak County, San Patricio County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak County | 11,929 | ▼ 12.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Atascosa County | 53,590 | ▲ 2.2% | 420 MW | 106 MW | — | — |
| Bee County | 32,515 | ▼ 4.7% | 818 MW | 351 MW | — | — |
| Duval County | 9,402 | ▲ 4.1% | — | 300 MW | — | — |
| Jim Wells County | 38,804 | ▼ 11.9% | 142 MW | — | — | — |
| Karnes County | 15,018 | ▼ 8.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| McMullen County | 544 | ▼ 5.8% | — | — | — | — |
| San Patricio County | 72,053 | ▲ 15.7% | 2,207 MW | 260 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Live Oak County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Live Oak County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Live Oak County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas Central Company, Nueces Electric Cooperative, Karnes Electric Coop Inc, San Patricio Electric Coop Inc.
Are there data centers in Live Oak County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Live Oak County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bee County.
Is Live Oak County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,609 jobs in 2025 against 4,140 in 2019 (-12.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Live Oak County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Live Oak County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.